Docker vs Fly.io: what each really costs

Team size

Billing

Docker

No plan for this billing option

No paid plan to compare for this billing option.

Fly.io

No plan for this billing option

No paid plan to compare for this billing option.

10 peopleDockerFly.io
Entry paid planNo plan for this billing optionNo plan for this billing option
Vendor price
Monthly cost
Annual cost
Per user / year
Billing commitmentNot recordedNot recorded
Minimum seatsNone statedNone stated
Free planYesNo free plan listed
Free trialNot statedNot stated

Calculated by SpecEntry from official vendor prices. Taxes and optional add-ons are not included. Open each product page for every plan and the official source.

Docker vs Fly.io: features

Key features as each vendor lists them. A feature missing from a list does not mean the product lacks it.

Docker

  • Docker SandboxesMicroVM isolation for every agent session, local or cloud.
  • AI governance consoleOne console for sandbox and MCP policy with identity-bound audit logs.
  • Docker Hardened ImagesMinimal, signed, continuously patched images and MCP servers.
  • MCP gatewayConnect and manage MCP tools.
  • Docker Model RunnerRun LLM inference locally.
  • Gordon AI agentGordon is an AI agent across Docker.
  • Docker ScoutSimplify the software supply chain.

Source:docker.com ·

Fly.io

  • Fly MachinesHardware-virtualized containers that launch instantly and run on demand.
  • Isolated sandboxesHardware-isolated sandboxes for running untrusted or AI-generated code.
  • Sprites environmentsEach Sprite is a self-contained environment ready in under a second.
  • Checkpoint and restoreCheckpoint an entire environment and restore it after breaking changes.
  • NVMe and object storageLocal NVMe for low latency plus global durable object storage.
  • Agent-ready CLIs and MCPCLIs and MCP servers designed to be driven by AI agents.
  • KVM hardware isolationApps run KVM hardware-isolated on Fly.io's own hardware.

Source:fly.io ·

Docker vs Fly.io pricing questions

  1. How much do Docker and Fly.io cost?

    Docker paid plans start at $9/user/month (Pro Annual). Fly.io paid plans start at $2.19 per month ($0.0030/hr), billed per second (Machine shared-cpu-1x 256MB).

  2. Is Docker or Fly.io cheaper for 5 users?

    Fly.io is cheaper for 5 users: $348 per year on Standard support, against $540 per year for Docker on Pro Annual. That is $192 less per year, before tax.

  3. Is Docker or Fly.io cheaper for 10 users?

    Fly.io is cheaper for 10 users: $348 per year on Standard support, against $1,080 per year for Docker on Pro Annual. That is $732 less per year, before tax.

  4. Is Docker or Fly.io cheaper for 25 users?

    Fly.io is cheaper for 25 users: $348 per year on Standard support, against $2,700 per year for Docker on Pro Annual. That is $2,352 less per year, before tax.

  5. Do Docker and Fly.io have a free plan?

    Docker lists a free plan; Fly.io does not list one on its official pricing.